Electrically-controlled train-operating mechanism.



APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 1916- Patented Mar. 19, 19l&

4 SHEETSSHEET l.

Slum/m Frank 3. 772a ver Gum;

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. I916.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Frank 5. Tha /er 1 F. s. THAYER. ELECTBICALLY COLN-IROLLED TRAIN OPERATING mscmmsm. Apmpmon FILED JULY 25. 1916. 1,259,928. Patented Mar. 19, mm

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- oo'ooo o-ooo r. s. THAYEB.

ELECTRIC/ALLY CONTROLLED TRAIN OPERATINGMELHANISM. APPLICATION FILED )ULYZfi. 1916.

1,259,928. Patented Mar. '19, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' 1 I I flank 5. 772490?!" ST Es PATENT-OFFICE.

FRANK s. THAYEB, or SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR or onn-rounrn"'ro GEORGE C. RICE, OE SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

' ELECTRIGALLY-CONTROLLED TRAN-OPERATING MECHANISM,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed July 25, 1916. Serial No. 111,131.

' To all whom it may concern ,Be it known that I, FRANK S. THAYER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Controlled TraimOperating Mechanisins, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electrically controlled train operating 1nechanisms,,and moreparticularly to a block signaling system and an apparatus or mechianism carried by the locomotive, designed to coiiperatetherewith to effect the automatic application of the train brakes.

,In a general way, the object of my invention is the provision of an organization of the foregoing character which will be positive in its action, thoroughly practical and reliable under all the conditions and circumstances incident to the operation of railroad trains of whatever type, whether freight or passenger, and especially to provide a system and apparatus which embodies all the elements and qualities to insure. safety deemed essential and requisite, as set forth in the reports of the Government and railroad commissions assigned to investigate the subject.

' Broadly, my'invention comprises, incombination with a permanently closed electri-- calblock signal circuit employing the rails and suitable wire connections and conductors and the customary visual fixed signals along the trackway arranged to indicate danger upon the shorting of said circuit as, for instance, when a train 15 occupying an adjoining block, or a break or ground occurs in the line, but which will normally indicate a clear track, of a device, preferably consisting of a third-rail' section mounted along the track and electrically conne'ctedwith the said closed circuit; and an electrically controlled brake setting mechanism carried by the engine designed to cooperate with said third-rail section to actuate the brakes of'the train.

Further than this my invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and parts as will be hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

ingblocks, wired to meet/the requirements of my invention, the arrangement shown be ing designed for a'single track system to accommodate trains passing in either direction.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing my arrangement of wiring for a double-track system.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the several electrical circuits whiclrI employ and which are installed upon an engine together with my third-rail contact device.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the device designated by the numeral in Fig. 3.

5 is a head-on view of a locomotive showing the third-rail contact devices mounted thereon on either side and forward of of. the parts shown in Fig. 8 and indicated by the numerals 49 and 66 respectively.

Referring specifically to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts in the several views, and first describing that portion of my train controlling apparatus comprising the block wiring and third-rail contact member as disclosed in Fig. 2, which figure shows a complete block designated by the letter Y, and adjoining blocks X and Z, the main circuit consists (see block Y) of a battery 1 located at one. end. of the block and connected through the me: dium of the wires 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and rails 7 to the magnetic-relay Slocated at the opcircuit.

operation but arranged to accommodatetrains passing in both directions on a single track, in addition to the foregoingdescribed main closed circuit, each third-rail section 12 and track-section 11 is connected by means of the wires 14: with like sections upon the opposite sides'of the track in the 4 blocks next adjoining the succeeding and preceding blocks.

lhe utility or the foregoing closed circuit,

. relay, and track and third-rail sections will be later explained after I have'described those elements of my apparatus which aremounted upon the locomotive and which are designed to cotiperate therewith.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a diagrammatic plan view to include the several electrical circuits and third-rail contact members or shoes carried by the engine-and which serve under certain conditions to automatically set.

the air-brakes of the train and shut oif the steam.- I

The main engine circuit comprises the battery 15, or otl er source of power, wires 16, 21, 22, and 25, electromagneticswitch l7, the'pulleys l8 and 20, steel or metal belting 19, switch 23, and shoes or third-rail contact members 24, a normally closed circuit which energizes the said switch 17.

An additional, normally open secondary circuit, is composed of the battery 25, wires .26, 27, 28, and 29, signal armature 80, con

necting post or brush 31, sleeve 66', and

motor 32, the break in the circuit occurring between the said signal armature and the wire 27. i

A spring 33 is attached to the signal .armature asshown. and serves to operatethe pivoted signal-armature 30 to complete or close the said secondary ClI'CUJl', upon the deenergizing of the electromagnetic switch 17 which would result from a break in its circuit, for instance, at the switch 23.

The function of the motor in the secondary circuit, when the circuit is closed in the foregoing manner, is to operate a brakevalve and steam control valve in the 'cab to shut off the steam and apply the air-brakes.

In Fig. 6 is shown the automatic steanr.

valve operating and brake-setting mechanism, dlstmct from the engmeers customary manual controls, which is actuated by the motor 32, and consists of a crank 34: on the shaft 35 of the, motor,'the crank having a ;.;the steam control shaft 10. i1, also mounted on the shaft of the motor,

meshes with the gear-wheel 42 which latter meas es pin 36 which operates in the slot 37 in the bar 38 connected with the lever-arm 39 on A gear-wheel has a pin 43 which operates in the slot 4st of the bar 45 which is connected at its upper end with the lever-arm 46 on the air control shaft 47.

From the foregoing description of the block circuit and the engine apparatus, it is evident that when an engine equipped with the contact shoe, which latter is normally in the position shown in Fig. 3 by reason of its weight and the action of the spring 24, and the switch 23 being normally closed as shown, travels upon the railsection 11 and the said shoe 24: comes in contact with the raised third-rail section 12, the switch 23 will be thrown open as shown in Fig. 7.

Then, assuming that this occurs in, say the block Z (Fig. 2), and that a train is occupying block Y, under which latter condition the closed circuit of the block Y will be shorted through the wheels and axle of the locomotive and the magnetic-relay 8 demagnctized, it is obvious that a break ,will occur in the circuit composed of tli'esaid main engine circuit from the shoe-2i," the wheel of the engine in contact with 3 the rail-section 11, through wires 9 and 10 lead' ing from said rail-section and third-rail section, at the magnetic-relay 8, thus efiecting the dei'nagnetization'of the magnetic-switch 17 in the engine cab, and allowing the signal armature 30 having the signal 33, to contact with the wire 27, thus serving to complete the secondary circuit and bring into I operation the said motor 32 which latter as aforesaid, will operate the steam .and air valve mechanism described to shut ofi' the steam 'and apply the brakes.

On the other hand, should there be no train in the block Y, nor any break in the said closed block circuit due to a break or ground, it is apparent that the said magnectic'J-elay 8 under such condition being closed, a complete circuit will still exist, and the magnetic-switch in the engine cab remain closed and the said main engine circuit complete so that the motor 32 will not he energized to effect the application of th brakes and throttling of the engine.

In Fig, 8 is'shownthe details of the cab signaling device, wiring, and magneticswitch previously referred to, which controls the air and steam valves. This mechanism is preferably housed as shown and is designated by the numeral 48' in the view, Fig. 6. The signal-armature-30, which is snapped over upon the demagnetization of the magnetic-switch 17, is retained in position, so'that the signal 33 mounted thereon will indicate 'danger, by the spring-catch 4,9, 21- detail View of whichis shown in Fig. 9". The wire connected thereto leads to the ner already described; After atrain has passed a third-rail section preceding an occupied block, the engineer may, by pressing the said button 50 release the said signalarmature so as to prevent further application of the brakes as the said magneticswitch 17 will be reenergized as soon as the engine has passed said third-rail section, by reason of the contact shoe member dropping to its normal position to close the switch 23 on the engine, so that such release of the signal-armature will complete the mainengine circuit, break'the circuit which operates the brakes by deenergizing the brake-setting motor 32 and allow'the train to proceed. But, if the engineer does not press the said button, the brake-control will continue to emergency-air and stop the train.

In Fig. 6 is disclosed a separate motor 51 connected by wires 52 with the battery 25- This motor, through the medium of the gearing 53 and the governor 54, serves, while the same is in motion, to maintain the air release valve 55 in the air-pipe closed. But

if battery 25 becomes exhausted, thus allowing the motor to stop, the said valve will be opened and the air released to effect the setting of the brakes.

An additional feature of my invention is disclosed in Figs,, 3, 4, and 10, comprising a means whereby, when the speed of the train reaches a predetermined excessive rate, an electric circuit is completed to operate the air and steam valve actuating motor 32, ir respective of the third-rail device This device (see Fig. 3) includes the motor 32, battery 25, wires 26, 28, 29 and 56, governor shaft 64, hearing member 6%", plug 58 adapted to be inserted in one of the holes 59 in the indicator-arc 60, and the pivoted indicator-arm 61 having one end forked as at 62 to receive the disk 63 which is movable longitudinally on the governor-shaft 64 and operated by the governor 65. It is apparent that when the arm 61 contacts with the plug 58, placed at a predetermined point in one of the holes in the .are 60, it will serve to close the circuit just described and to thereby operate the said motor 32 to shut off the steam and make application of the airbrakes. It is also apparent that the said circuit will be again broken when the speed of the train has been sufliciently reduced or retarded so that the arm 61 no longer contacts with the plug.

Still another feature of my organization comprises a means whereby the trairti may be is sufliciently reduced-say to tenmiles per hour. To accomplish this result I employ the sleeve 66 which has an insulated portion or section 67, and which is secured on the slidable collar 68 of the governor 65, clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 10, by the set-screw 69, so that it maybe adjusted longitudinally thereon. As this sleeve 66 forms one of the conducting elements of the hereinbefore described secondary brake-s etting circuit through its uninsulated section, see Figs. 3,

8 and 10, it may be so adjusted on the said collar 68 that the rotation of the governor, which is operated by the pulleys 18 and 20 and belting 19, will slide the said uninsulated section thereof into contact with the conducting post 57. only when the speed of the train is greater than a given rate. If, however, such rate of speed is less than say, ten miles per hour, then,'although a break occur in the main engine circuit by reason. of the contact of the third-rail element and shoe and the cab signal go to danger, it is evident that the said secondary circuitwill be incomplete as there will exist a break therein at and because of the insulated section of the sleeve, due to the fact that the contact post 57 in said secondary circuit will then contact with the insulated section of which comprises a quadrant-lever 70 mountv ed upon the shaft 71 near the reversing apparatus of the locomotive, the wire 72 con necting with the battery 15, and the wire 25 with the said shoe member on the right side of the engine and the wire 25 with the shoe member on the left side of the engine, so that in case the engine is reversed to travel in an opposite direction the proper shoe will be automatically brought into the main engine circuit and the corresponding shoe rendered inoperative. A. recording device as described in Fig. .6 by the numeral 73 may be employed to record the application of the brakes. I t

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various of the invention as set forth in the annexed clalms.

Having descnbed my inventlon, its advantages and operation, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a train controlling device of the character described, a normally closed main engine circuit including a magnetic switch and a me'chanlcally operatedcontact swltch adapted to break said circuit, a normally open secondary engine circuit insaid main circuit adapted to be closed by the armature of said magnetic switch upon opening of erated by said governor adapted to maintain said secondary circuit open subsequent to the opening of said mechanically operated contact switch, and a latch mechimism electrically interposed in said secondary circuit adapted to cooperate with the armature of said magnetic switch to complete and main- -.tain said secondary circuit closed upon demagnetization of said magnetic switch.

2.- In a train controlling device of the character described, a normally closed main engine circuit, a normally open secondary engine circuit adapted to be closed upon breaking of the main circuit, a motor in said secondary circuit energized upon closing of t the circuit as aforesaid, av source of current 1,25e,eas

3. In a train controlling device of the character described, a normally closed main engine circuit and a normally open secondary engine circuit, a driven shaft having its rate of rotation controlled by the speed of the train, a governor driven by said shaft,

a pivoted indicator arm adapted to close said secondary circuit upon the train attaining a predetermined high rate of speed, a member controlled by said governor and engaging said arm, a movable contact member in said secondary circuit carried by said governor slidably movable therewith and having an insulated and a conducting section, and a fixed contact in said. secondary circuit adapted to engage the insulated portion of the movable contact member when the train is traveling at a predetermined low rate of speed to prevent closing of the secondary circuit and to engage the conducting section of the movable contact member to allow closing of the secondary circuit when the train is traveling faster than at a given rate of speed. U

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANK S. THAYJL'R. 

